Future Daddy's Girl

At our 20 week appointment our doctor confirmed that we are having a girl! I secretly knew she was a girl, I just had a feeling. During the ultrasound our doctor also spotted an abnormality with her heart. The excitement in the office that afternoon went from very high to speechless shock. What was supposed to be a 45 minute appointment to find out the gender of our little one, turned out to be a 2.5 hour appointment. After an unexpected amniocentisis, learning new medical terminalogy and being referred to a pediatric cardiologist, Steve and I left the office numb.

It was at that moment that I knew and understood the unconditional love a parent has for their child. Of course the tears flowed on the way home, that night and the next day. Throughout the entire time Steve was my rock. He reminded me that we needed to stay strong and that our baby girl was going to be fine. At that point we really didn't know any specifics just that there was a problem. The next step was to have a fetal echocardiogram done with a pediatric cardiologist. We were referred to Loma Linda Children's Hospital and it was there that we learned our baby girl has a type of congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. When the pediatric cardiologist shared the diagnosis, I had to have her spell it out for me and repeat it three times. We also learned that our baby may need surgery right after birth to correct the problem and several times later in life, but that she can live a normal life. We'll have a better understanding of the severity of her condition as soon as she takes her first breath, but the fact that the doctor spotted the abnormality at 20 weeks has been a blessing. We have had several follow up appointments to check on her progress and I will continue to be closely watched until her birth. Our families and close friends have been very supportive and loving. I have followed Steve's example from day one, staying positive and praying everyday.

Steve is already so protective of her, talks to her everyday and can't wait to teach her how to play golf and basketball.

Guess What?

13 Weeks

Baby Barlow Arriving Late November!

We are very excited to share the news! We are expecting our first child in late November. We first found out we were going to be parents in March and its been a tough secret to keep. Last December we met with a fertility specialist and decided we were going to try IVF. We started treatments in February and a month later the results came back positive. I was the first one to receive the call from the doctor at work and I waited to tell Steve in person. On the way home I stopped and bought a Daddy baby bib and a pregnancy book. We went out to dinner that night and halfway through I pulled his gift out of my purse. I wish I would have gotten his reaction on camera, it was priceless. He was in shock and utter joy. There were a lot of smiles, tears and hugs shared that night.

Steve has been wonderful these last few months. Talk about fatigue, I couldn't stay up past 7:30. Nausea kicked in pretty quickly too, but luckily I never got sick. Needless to say, Steve cooked most of the meals, did the grocery shopping, cleaned and maybe put up with one or two of my emotional outbursts. I couldn't stand the smell or taste of chicken. Saltines, cheese, orange juice, ginger ale and In'n Out burgers were my favorite. Around week 11 I started feeling somewhat normal again. My bedtime is now 8:30 and I have re-introduced fruits, vegetables and poultry into my diet.

We had our 13 week ultrasound two weeks ago. The baby was in a headstand position in the beginning, but quickly started moving. We saw its hands, fingers, feet and what looks to be long legs. Baby is healthy and growing as expected. It's all beginning to feel so real now, a baby is on the way! We are very much looking forward to becoming parents and enjoying our time together during this process.

Texas Barlows Visit Orange County

The week after the Barlow Anniversary Party weekend, Mike (Steve's older brother), his wife Elaine and their two kids, Zachary and Hailey, came down to Orange County to spend a week with us. We were so excited to have them and wanted to show them our local hangout spots.

We spent a day with Mickey at the Happiest Place on Earth, swam in the pool, made s'mores on the beach in Corona del Mar, played golf, had lunch at Ruby's on the Balboa Pier in Newport and they visited the Discovery Science Center to checkout the new hockey exhibit.

Come back and visit us soon!

Jim & Joan Celebrate 50 Years of Marriage

On the weekend of June 17th, Steve's parents Jim and Joan, celebrated 50 years of marriage. To celebrate, all of Steve's siblings, Janna, Kelley, Mike, Amy, Jeff and Diana (with their spouses, children and grandchildren) flew/drove in from Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. It was a packed weekend complete with dinners, photo sessions, picnics, pool time, reminiscing, dancing, flipping through old photo albums, constant singing followed by laughter and happy tears. Kudos to Steve's youngest sister, Diana, for taking the lead with planning and organizing such a memorable weekend. Jim and Joan's anniversary party was lovely and celebrating with EVERY family member made it even lovelier.

Kelley, Steve, Diana, Mike, Janna, Jeff, Amy, Jim & Joan
Ember, Kevin, Megan, Janna, Dan, Brad, Elise, Weston, Kelly, Lorraine, Cate
Grace, Joan, Jim, Claire, Cora
David, Trent, Ryan, Kelley, JJ, Brooke
Joan, Tenney & Jim

Mike, Elaine, Hailey & Zachary

Us

Will, Sara, Craig, Amy, Jeff, Rachel, Ryan
Jim & Joan

Garrett, Amy, Lola, Jeff & Isaac

Christiana, Diana, Jason, Jimmy, Joan, Jim & Jacob

Grand Finale!

Happy 30th Anniversary Mom & Dad

Fultons Visit

Amy, Rachel, Sara and Joan came down to Orange County for a quick visit. We celebrated Rachel's birthday with a day at the beach and the girls spent a day at Disneyland.

One Hot Afternoon